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Optipedia

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Longitudinal Magnification

The longitudinal magnification relates the distances between pairs of conjugate planes.

longitudinal_magnification

equation_1

These equations are valid for widely separated planes. As the plane separation approaches zero, the local longitudinal magnification is obtained.

equation_2

Since m varies with position, longitudinal magnification is a function of z and z'.

The use of reduced distances and optical angles allows a system to be represented as an air-equivalent system with thin lenses. Consider the example of a refracting surface and its thin lens equivalent. Both have the same power φ.
air-equivalent_system
Citation:

J. E. Greivenkamp, Field Guide to Geometrical Optics, SPIE Press, Bellingham, WA (2004).



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